12 August 2011

So where do we go from here?

One of the most useful points made at last night's public meeting in Hammersmith with the local police, led by Chief Superintendent Lucy D’Orsi, was the need to distinguish between those rioters and looters who were criminal thugs and those who were vulnerable and got caught up in it.

What made this argument telling is that it came not from the public but repeatedly from experienced, battle-scarred police officers themselves. Effective protection, punishment and prevention will clearly require a variety of approaches.